ISLAMABAD: Leader of Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly, Shehbaz Shairf on Monday declared that he would not take part in the consultation process of appointing a caretaker prime minister, terming it “illegal”.
Addressing a press conference alongside PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto and other Opposition leaders, Shehbaz stated that the Constitution had defined the process of appointing and ousting the premier, telling the government that these could not be “jumped”.
The PML-N president also alleged that what happened in the National Assembly session on Sunday was a “planned conspiracy”. “On March 24, the speaker had granted leave to the no-confidence motion. If there was an objection on it under Article 5, why was the leave granted?” he asked.
Shehbaz said that the assembly had a system and legal branch. The speaker, he pointed out, tabled the agenda item in Parliament after completing all the legal procedures. “Otherwise, he rejects it in his office only,” he added.
He lamented that voting on the resolution had to take place yesterday but “Imran Khan’s dishonesty and ill-will came in between and he used the deputy speaker as his accomplice in the crime”.
The opposition leader claimed that Imran Khan and his people “couldn’t face their defeat and therefore compromised democracy and broke the constitution”.
“You have seen that the public is going into a vacuum ever since,” he said, adding, that the outgoing government had used the word “traitor” as a joke.
Shehbaz highlights flaws in ‘foreign letter’ controversy
Regarding the “foreign threat letter” controversy, Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan’s Ambassador Asad Majeed hosted a farewell dinner on March 16 and invited all US officials, even those who were accused by PM Imran Khan.”
Moreover, he added that, in his tweet, Asad Majeed thanked Donald Lu over good relations and cooperation.
“If the letter was dated March 7 and highlighted the involvement of Donald Lu, why was the ambassador acknowledging the US official during the dinner on March 16,” he highlighted, questioning why Lu was invited for the dinner if had threatened Pakistan.
The PML-N leader said that if they had received the “foreign letter” on March 7, then “why did they not highlight this issue earlier.”
“According to the speech given by the former NA deputy speaker, all Opposition leaders became traitors,” he said, adding that yesterday’s NA proceedings made a joke of the constitution of Pakistan, laws and Parliament.
Regarding outgoing information minister Fawad Chaudhry’s claims about challenging the speaker’s ruling, Shehbaz said: “It is right that no one can challenge the proceedings of the House but the Constitution was blatantly violated, does it have any protection?”
Earlier in the day, President Dr Arif Alvi wrote a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif to propose names of suitable persons for appointment as caretaker premier under Article 224-A(1 )of the Constitution.
The development comes a day after the NA deputy speaker disallowed a no-trust confidence motion against PM Imran and the president dissolved the lower house of Parliament on the former’s advice.
